Range Rover at home on the hills
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| SHNS photo courtesy Ford The 2007 Range Rover sport utility truck holds its position, even when parked on hilly, rugged terrain. |
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The scariest moments in off-roading come on the hill climbs.
Staring through a windshield filled with sky, you know you're going to crest the hill and suddenly head downward. You're not really sure what awaits you on the other side. Your gut tightens for a precipitous plunge.
This is where Range Rover Sport's "hill-descent-control" (HDC) system proves invaluable.
Part of the electronics package that includes emergency brake assist, dynamic stability control, active roll mitigation and traction control, HDC automatically slows the vehicle to a crawl, allowing the Sport to tiptoe over rocks and rough terrain.
Rugged off-roading is the correct reference point for all Land Rover products, despite their steep prices and classy accoutrements. While the sport utility category has morphed into a variety of luxurious, car-based "crossovers," Land Rover remains true to its English roots as a durable rock climber.
The Sport is so resolute about holding its ground that you may think it's still in Park, even though the shifter says "D" or "R." After you turn the ignition and shift into gear, nothing really happens until you touch the accelerator. This baby's not going anywhere until you tell it to go. That's a true confidence builder on any terrain, paved or not.
The Sport is a relatively new version of the flagship Range Rover, introduced in 2005 bearing a swept roofline, a powerful Jaguar engine, and various cosmetic tweaks to embellish its eye-catching appeal. As a response to performance oriented challengers such as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5, Range Rover came up with the right answer.
Pricing is prohibitive for anyone but a Range Rover loyalist. The Sport HSE bears a $57,950 tag while the Range Rover Sport Supercharged, like the one I drove, has a 2007 MSRP of $71,250. Options added $6,000 to the bottom line.
As a barrier to entry, pricing delivers the upside of exclusivity. So far, the competition - even Mercedes-Benz - has not managed to challenge the legacy and authenticity of the Range Rover image.
Despite hard times for its down-market competition, Land Rover enjoyed record sales of 192,500 last year. Sales in the United States, Land Rover's largest market, rose by 3.5 percent with the Sport soaring by 80 percent. Under Ford Motor Co.'s ownership, Land Rover saw sales rise in Russia for the sixth straight year, along with a 54 percent increase in the Middle East and 43 percent rise in North Africa. On the home islands, UK sales of the Sport increased by 52 percent.
Though well-heeled buyers are unlikely to be inconvenienced, fuel economy remains politically incorrect.
The supercharged Sport's V8 engine consumed premium unleaded at the rate of 13 miles per gallon in the city and 19 on the highway for an annual refill tab of $2,651.
The upside of bad fuel economy is an excess of power. The 4.2-liter supercharged V8 delivers 390 horses at 5,750 rpm and 410 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 rpm. That translates into a 0-to-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds. The naturally breathing V8 in the HSE cranks out 90 fewer horses and 95 fewer foot-pounds of torque at peak performance, but that's not exactly wimpy.
The Sport's ZF electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission offers three modes - automatic, sport, and the manual CommandShift.
The Sport mode allows the engine to rev higher before upshifting and offers more aggressive downshifts.
A two-speed transfer case comes with an electronically controlled, variable locking center differential that automatically distributes torque to both drive axles.
You can shift between low and high ranges without stopping.
In urban driving, the Sport is lustily responsive while remaining utterly stable and confident. You can shoot up the freeway entrance ramp and merge with traffic easily, knowing that all you have to do is take your foot off the accelerator to quickly reduce speed.
The high driving position and excellent visibility via the large side mirrors adds an extra degree of comfort.
Range Rover continues to deliver the most attractive interiors in the SUV class if you're willing to pay the premium.
The front bucket seats are power adjustable (eight-way driver and six-way passenger), with firm bolsters and high-grip seating surfaces to keep passengers in place during hard maneuvers.
The automatic climate control system has settings for two zones. Heated front and rear seats are standard on the Supercharged model and optional on HSE. A power sunroof is standard on both models.
The programmable key fob can command the air suspension to lower the vehicle to ease entry. A phone system with BlueTooth technology provides a cradle for your mobile phone. A Park Distance Control system senses objects both in front of and behind the vehicle.
The Sport's 550-watt Harman/Kardon Logic 7 sound system uses a 12-channel amplifier playing through 14 speakers. Steering wheel controls command volume, station, and CD track selection.
Sirius Satellite Radio gear is standard on the Supercharged model and optional on HSE. Strangely, tuning the stations on Sirius took an inordinately long time. General Motors has already solved the time lag problem with satellite radio. Land Rover should have too.
2007 Range Rover Sport at a glance
WHAT'S NEW: Personal Telephone Integration System with Bluetooth, power accessory upgrades.
PLUSES: Safety, security, comfort, performance.
MINUSES: Fuel economy, price, satellite radio tuning.
TYPE: 4-wheel-drive, five-passenger, full-size sport utility vehicle.
PRICE: $70,535 base, $77,250 as tested.
POWER: 4.2-liter, 390-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine; six-speed auto transmission.
FUEL ECONOMY: 13 mpg city, 19 mpg highway; estimated annual fuel cost $2,651.
CHASSIS: Electronic air suspension with multiple modes; Bosch four-channel, all-terrain disc brakes with ABS; electronic parking brake; Active roll mitigation; Dynamic stability; Hill descent control; Terrain Response; electronic traction control; Electronic Brakeforce Distribution; power rack-and-pinion steering; 20-inch wheels.
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 188.5 x 85.4 x 71.2 inches.
WHEELBASE X TRACK: 108 x 63.2/63.5 inches.
CURB WEIGHT: 5,648 pounds.
GROUND CLEARANCE: 6.8 inches.
OPTIONS: Adaptive cruise control ($2,000); oak trim ($500); rear-seat entertainment ($2,500); 20-inch Stormer wheels ($1,000).
BOTTOM LINE: Off-road royalty.
- Scripps Howard News Service
